So tonight i got to play at a venue with CDJ-1000 MK2s.

i have tech 12s at home. always used them and have never tried cdjs.


let me tell you i hated using the CDJ-1000.

it felt so fake and distant? i duno.

I dunno if the deck is supposed to spin while its playing, but it didn't.

and to me that just completely fucks my shit up. I never beat match with the pitch. i always adjust by stroking the vinyl, and pinching the nipple for fine tuning.

the cdjs don't have that. i could touch the deck to make it stop..but it was laggy, or something. i didn't work for me at all.

i managed to mix OK but i felt that the beat matching that did work, was more by luck than anything else.

even with the BPM counter i found it way more difficult to get a decent beatmatch.

ugh.

maybe i just need more time..but for now, i don't like it.

It's a different format, for years people tried as hard as they could to emulate vinyl with CDs and some people got very close (the Technics SL-DZ1200 for example) but at the end of the day it's NOT vinyl, so to really make the most of it you have to approach it differently and accept it's not going to be exactly the same.

The way you mix with vinyl (touching the platter etc) is entirely due to the way the sound's created from a vinyl recording. So why should you necessarily mix exactly the same way with CDs, when the way the sound is created is completely different?

The platters on the 1000s aren't supposed to turn. There are some decks which do - the Denon S3000/3500/5000, Technics SL-DZ1200, some of the Numark ones etc - but they all had their flaws and the general consensus among DJs is that a turning platter isn't necessary.

If your first time using CDJs was at a gig then I feel for you, must be quite a shock! You do need to be shown (or learn yourself) how to use them properly, like the first time you used turntables. But it's a fairly easy learning curve, as you've already learnt the difficult bit: the listening side of beatmatching to know whether you're behind/ahead etc.

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Last edited by Stu Cox on Feb-20-2010 at 09:21

quote:

Originally posted by BTG So tonight i got to play at a venue with CDJ-1000 MK2s. i have tech 12s at home. always used them and have never tried cdjs. let me tell you i hated using the CDJ-1000. it felt so fake and distant? i duno. I dunno if the deck is supposed to spin while its playing, but it didn't. and to me that just completely fucks my shit up. I never beat match with the pitch. i always adjust by stroking the vinyl, and pinching the nipple for fine tuning. the cdjs don't have that. i could touch the deck to make it stop..but it was laggy, or something. i didn't work for me at all. i managed to mix OK but i felt that the beat matching that did work, was more by luck than anything else. even with the BPM counter i found it way more difficult to get a decent beatmatch. ugh. maybe i just need more time..but for now, i don't like it.

I've always thought you were an absolute titty, and this post confirms it.

All you had to do was spend 5 minutes looking at youtube vids to work out the physics of one of these things.

Which mode were you using? CDJ or Vinyl. Both modes react differently with the wheel. I just bought a pair of MK-3's. They can be a little tricky at first, but it gets easier after about ten minutes.

My only suggestion would be, the next time you spin at this club, or any other club that has CDJ's, which is pretty much all of them. Try to get into the club a little early so you can practice with them. Most club owners will let you in early. Just remember to turn down the master while practicing.

Last edited by Brandt Slater on Feb-20-2010 at 11:00

quote:

Originally posted by BTG So tonight i got to play at a venue with CDJ-1000 MK2s. i have tech 12s at home. always used them and have never tried cdjs. let me tell you i hated using the CDJ-1000. it felt so fake and distant? i duno. I dunno if the deck is supposed to spin while its playing, but it didn't. and to me that just completely fucks my shit up. I never beat match with the pitch. i always adjust by stroking the vinyl, and pinching the nipple for fine tuning. the cdjs don't have that. i could touch the deck to make it stop..but it was laggy, or something. i didn't work for me at all. i managed to mix OK but i felt that the beat matching that did work, was more by luck than anything else. even with the BPM counter i found it way more difficult to get a decent beatmatch. ugh. maybe i just need more time..but for now, i don't like it.

I know what you mean. when I first made the switch, I actually felt a little sad when mixing.

4 years down the line I absolutely love my cdj's. I still use my 1210's on a regular basis and will always have them. There is something about chasing the pitch on vinyl that the cdj's will never compare to.

Give it time dude.

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quote:

Originally posted by A.B chasing the pitch

Haha never heard it referred to like that, love it.

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Sorry to harp on...... but:

Who the hell plays a 'venue' and has never played on CDJs before?

There's no justice. I'm not included in this group, but i know lots of very talented people who can out mix some of the pros in my opinion, yet they struggle to get gigs.

quote:

Originally posted by Jarvmeister Sorry to harp on...... but: Who the hell plays a 'venue' and has never played on CDJs before? There's no justice. I'm not included in this group, but i know lots of very talented people who can out mix some of the pros in my opinion, yet they struggle to get gigs.

it was a shitty gig. don't be jealous.

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...21&forumid=8&s=

Just thought I'd mention that the work "tit" has been used twice already in the thread and in different contexts.

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The advice given above is sound. CDJs are a different technology to vinyl and should not be approached assuming that because you can use vinyl you can use these.

I switched from Vinyl to CDJ 2 years ago.

The reason that you had such a bad time is because you were under pressure while trying to learn, not because the equipment is rubbish.

If you use the Vonyl/CD switch you can activate the ability to touch the platter without stopping the track. So more like vinyl.

My advice to you is don't use the BPM counter to beat match. I and to be honest all the CDJ users that I know use their ear just the same as they did when they were spinning vinyl. You use the side rotary that goes around the platter to touch the track in to time if the platter is in Vinnyl mode (the mode that stops the track when you touch it, this allows you to do spin backs and scratching).

Basically yes, go and watch a video on you tube for how to use them as most of your issues have come from you not knowing how to use the equipment.

I remember one time I was at club. They had mk1's which looked pretty worn out. Well, on one of them the cdj/vinyl switch was broken and it was stuck in cdj mode. That made it interesting because I prefer vinyl mode.

Sorry random thought.